U2’s beautiful day for Wexford children
WITH cash backing from U2, Music Generation, Ireland’s national music education programme, has revealed that Wexford will receive €600,000 in philanthropic funding from the band and The Ireland Funds over three years to increase access for young people to high-quality, subsidised vocal and instrumental tuition.
Operating on a 50/50 matched-funding basis, the Wexford Music Education Partnership will also generate a further €600,000 in funding locally over the threeyear period.
U2’s The Edge said this was an important moment for Music Generation.
‘Our ambition is for every child and young person in Ireland to have access to tuition and this next phase of expansion brings us ever closer,’ he said..
Wexford Music Education Partnership is among nine new areas of the country selected for participation in the second phase of Music Generation.
Music Generation was started by Music Network in 2010, and is co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds, the Department of Education and Skills and Local Music Education Partnerships.
the programme creates access to music tuition for more than 41,000 children and young people annually across 12 counties, with the latest announcement bringing the total number of areas reached to 21.
The nine new Music Education Partnerships selected for participation in Music Generation ‘Phase 2’ will be established on a phased basis over the next five years. Planning for the Wexford set-up process will commence over the coming months, with programming expected to get underway later in 2018.
Wexford Music Education Partnership’s (MEP) goal is to develop a range of affordable and accessible performance music education programmes for children and young people age 0 to 18.
This will include the coordination of music tuition services within the county, working in partnership with schools, community music groups and tuition centres in the formation of choirs, ensembles, access programmes, composition and songwriting projects, and more, across a range of musical genres and styles.
Kevin Lewis, Chief Executive of Wexford and Waterford Education and Training Board ( WWETB), Lead Partner in Wexford MEP said the award was a terrific opportunity develop the infrastructure for performance music education in Wexford.
‘We have a rich musical tradition, and a great number of passionate and energised partners are to be thanked for their commitment to ensuring the continuation of this tradition into the future,’ said Mr Lewis.
WWETB will partner with Wexford County Council on the successful delivery of the Music Generation in Wexford.
Wexford County Council chairman Cllr John Hegarty said County Hall sees this as an exciting opportunity to nurture and support the development of quality performance music education for children in the county of Wexford in the coming years. ‘ Wexford has a very rich musical landscape, and we are delighted to build on this over the coming years with Music Generation,’ he said.